1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to functionalized amphiphilic compounds and methods of making self assembling compositions therefrom.
2. Background of Related Art
Amphiphilic polymers, having a large solubility difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions, are known to self-assemble in a variety of solutions into micelles of nanoscale size. Such micelles have a fairly narrow size distribution and are characterized by their unique core-shell architecture, where in a hydrophilic solution the hydrophobic portions are segregated from the aqueous exterior to form an inner core surrounded by a shell of hydrophilic polymer chains. A micelle is thermodynamically stable relative to disassembly into single chains as long as the concentration of the amphiphilic polymer exceeds the critical micelle concentration.
The principles of self-assembly of polymer micelles have been advanced by using block and graft (linear polymers to which side chains have been “grafted”) copolymers containing ionic and nonionic blocks. Polymer micelles formed from block or graft copolymers are of interest because they allow the encapsulation of therapeutic molecules including pharmaceuticals, proteins, nucleic acids and other bioactive agents. Moreover, the architecture of the polymer micelles may be useful in the formation of structurally supportive nanofibers.
It would be beneficial to provide compositions that produce self-assembled structures with added stability against the environment in vivo by creating linkages between the amphiphilic compounds used to form the self-assembling structures.